Darling Boy - Melbourne Fringe Review

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Mon 17 Oct 2022 - Sun 23 Oct 2022

Darling Boy is a well-crafted one man show by the hilariously relatable actor/writer Rupert Bevan.

Strikingly honest and at times, incredibly poignant, this coming-of-age comedy drama is a gentle reminder of how it feels to be young and in love in Melbourne.

From navigating the gay clubbing scene, notoriously fraught with dangers like the infiltration of "too many straight guys", the aptly named Darling Boy perfectly depicts the highs and lows of growing pains and that feeling like you don't quite belong.

Hailed as an "exploration of connection and loneliness" and "ode to first love, family, sweaty clubs and growing up (whenever that happens)", I was blown away by Rupert's knack for making the audience feel at home with his disarming wit and boyish charm. I felt a noticeable twinge of nostalgia for my mid-20s as he regaled us with tales of first dates and sexual encounters gone laughably wrong.

The sound direction was superb and the Butterfly Club proved to be a safe space with plenty a sympathetic ear for Rupert to share his most lurid fantasies and sexual faux pas.



A final word of warning, stay away from the Hollywood martinis. Like your sweetest memories of dating in your 20s, it had a cloyingly noxious aftertaste and is probably best left in the past (along with your first loves, velour tracksuits and landline phones).

**
Q&A with creator Rupert Bevan **



**What events inspired the show?
**
I originally wrote a small version of the show during my second year of Drama School and it was to be presented as part of a VCA student theatre festival in 2020. Unfortunately, due to Covid, that plan went awry.

When I graduated at the beginning of 2021, I knew that the normal avenues of getting theatre work were not as plentiful as they had been before so I knew that I had to create my own work. 'Darling Boy' was a response to that.

**
Can you tell us more about the creative process of developing the show? **The creative process has been an absolute joy. I have worked with the most remarkable team of creatives, who like myself, are all recent graduates. It has been thrilling to work with Rupert Buesst on the show's original music; Sam Diamond with the lighting; Liv McKenna who operates the show's 150 cues every night; and I have found the most rewarding and stimulating creative relationship with Lucy Rossen. I trust her implicitly. This has been the original team since we did the show back in May and continued for this season at Fringe. Having Lisa Millar and Matthew Hardy on board producing this season alongside me has helped to broaden the show's scope.

What do you want the audience to take away from the piece?On the one hand, I want audiences to see a play that explores a different queer narrative, one that offers a nuanced story that exists within the deeply complicated world of the modern gay experience. We're not just the funny, sassy, carefree GBFs on a Netflix show. Each gay man (specifically speaking) has their own individual story. At its core, this play is about connection, so I want audiences to connect with themselves and the people they love.
Connection is the most vital and yearned for emotion that we as humans all crave. It is scary to be vulnerable with those we love, particularly family, but ultimately it is vital. You are not alone.

What advice would you give to singles navigating the complex Melbourne dating scene?Go in with 'friend brain.' If you go in with 'dating/romance brain' then everything the person says to you will be filtered through your expectation of how you want them to be/respond, etc. If you go in with 'friend brain' you're much more open and receptive to what they have to say and how they are. And if they don't text you back, move on and call your best friend.

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!date 17/10/2022 -- 23/10/2022
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